An Inevitable Propensity for Trouble
by InTheTARDISJustAsItShouldBe
Summary: Tentoo and Rose, who seem to be (unfortunately) stuck at the 'stolen glances and flirting' stage in their relationship, have grown a new TARDIS and head out into the new universe. However, there are many differences between this universe and their old one, and not all is as it seems. This undoubtedly means certain trouble and awkward situations for the two adventurers.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Doctor Who.**

**Also, thank you to _orchids117 _for being an awesome beta.**

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**Chapter 1**

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The TARDIS's engines whirred as she materialized in an unused corner of an unused room of an almost unvisited section of The Library - instruction manuals. Nobody ever cared for those.

The doors opened and the Doctor, dressed smartly in his blue suit (which he now preferred to his previous pin-striped brown), stepped out with a smile. It was such a wonderful place, so full of old paper and grey dust; it smelled like relaxation and information, adventure and mystery.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Ah, the Library! So big it doesn't need a name, just a great big 'the'. The whole core of the planet is the index computer, biggest hard drive ever, and up here, every book ever written."

He was pushed aside by a gentle little pink nail polished hand and the bubbly girl stepped out of the box, grinning at him with a tongue-touched smile.

She glanced around with a familiar spark in her eyes. "A whole planet just for books? I'm surprised you haven't moved here yet."

"Well, no one actually lives here. Though I'm sure that if they did ever decide to build houses they would be taken instantly; there are quite a few intellectuals who would kill to live on a book planet."

"And are you one of them?" she joked.

The Doctor gave her an indignant look. "Oi, I've got the TARDIS! She may not have the biggest library, but it's certainly the best."

Rose shrugged. "I can't argue with that. Now, why are we here exactly?"

He reached out for her hand and they made their way to the main hallway. "New universe, new history. Just think of how different earth is; most things are the same, but there are a few major differences. Now just picture that but on every planet. Can you imagine the trouble we could get in? I need to re-learn the history of the universe!"

Rose grinned at him. "So that we don't muck things up wherever we go?"

The Doctor twirled her around by the hand he was still holding. "Exactly! This is a perfect first trip. Come on then, let's find the history section. If I remember correctly it'll be just north of the cookbooks."

They had reached the door that led out of the instruction manuals when the Doctor pulled Rose towards the transportation system, letting himself enjoy the view of the intricate layout of the buildings and beautiful sky above. He was forever grateful that the events of what transpired here in the other universe had not carried over into this one. He pushed aside the memories of the last time he was here, and wished for his other self to solve the mystery that was River Song – for the both of them.

It was a ten minute shuttle ride to the correct section. Rose could see entire cities of authors from the small window of the transporter. In the year that it had taken for the new TARDIS to grow, she had forgotten what it had felt like – the new ground beneath her feet, the new sky.

They got off at the history section, a very large three-story building with an open floor plan that only a few lonely scholars inhabited.

The Doctor stared in pure glee at the rows and rows of times gone by. Where to begin?

"Okay Rose, you start with 'A' to 'E' and I'll take the rest."

"Whoopee," she muttered sarcastically. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to be looking for!"

He sighed and pushed her forward encouragingly. "Anything that stands out; anything you think might be helpful to keep in mind if we ever find ourselves on any of those planets."

So, they began their research. It was truly surprising how big some of the differences were. In Barcelona – the planet not the city – the dogs had noses; it was the _cats_ that were noseless. The language of the Judoons consisted of the vowel _'u'_ rather than their traditional 'o'. And perhaps the most shocking of all were the Sontarans. They were reminiscent of Earth's hippies, proclaiming to 'make love, not war'. One of their most influential leaders was remembered for his phrase: "It's beautiful… let's go smother it in hugs!"

It was quite amusing really. All the new experiences he could have in all these familiar yet new worlds. The Doctor walked along the stacked aisles, perusing different topics and skimming his fingers over the surface of the special editions. He still retained his ability to read insanely fast, and he was quickly reaching the end of his section.

He began his stroll through the 'T's when he suddenly stopped. His fingers hit a large leather-bound volume, and they seemed unable to move. It was almost as if the book was calling to him, pulling him closer and urging him to peek at what was inside. It was dusty but well-used, which only added to its mystery and appeal. In the dim light, he could see a faint shimmering coat that clung to the book, drawing his eyes away.

Why would a book, have a perception filter? He soniced the illusion away and pulled the heavy tome from the shelf. As he read the title, he had to restrain himself from letting the massive object fall to the floor. Scrawled over the cover in swirling script was _'History of the Time War'. _

With a shaking hand, he put the book back in its place and carried on with his reading. He tried desperately to ignore the tugging sensation in his mind that was attempting to pull him back to the information that filled his heart with cold dread. He knew he should probably take a look; the events leading to the fall of this Gallifrey could very well be completely different, but it would still be gone nonetheless.

He looked back at the book uncertainly. He needed to know, but the idea of what could be written in those pages scared him. The Time War was destined for destruction in any universe, of that he was absolutely certain.

"Doctor?" a soft voice called.

"I'm down here!" he replied, clearing his throat and pulling himself away from the shelf.

Rose rounded the corner to join him. "Doctor, I'm hungry. Can we go get some chips?"

He forced himself to plaster on a bright smile. "Of course we can! Brilliant plan! Molto bene! How far did you get?"

She thought for a moment. "Um, I read the first book. Some planet called Aabkud."

He nodded in contemplation. He'd come back later and finish the rest for her. "Okay. I'm almost done here. Why don't I meet you at the TARDIS?"

Rose agreed and with a final glance, she left.

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair and finished the last of the many shelves. He kept telling himself not to give in, but as he began his walk back towards the transport, he snatched the book, re-soniced it into disguise, and placed it under his jacket.

They returned to London and had a nice meal at Rose's favorite chippie, followed by a quick trip back home. Rose was excitedly telling the Doctor some of the things she had read, but his mind was elsewhere. His thoughts kept wandering back to that book. What was in it? What could have happened?

Despite his fears, his curiosity was getting the best of him. He waited impatiently for Rose to tire and the moment she pranced off to her room he took out the book. His metacrisis body only needed one whole night of sleep every two or three nights, more than he was used to but still less than humans. He settled himself comfortably in his bed and flipped to the first page, already knowing what it probably said. He decided to read the regular way, one word at a time, to make sure he captured every detail. With a deep breath he began.

_The Last Great Time War was a battle of death and destruction for the whole universe. The mighty Time Lords of Gallifrey and the mutated Daleks of Skaro entangled themselves in a conflict so old that it went beyond time. The _Act of Master Restitution_ – a peace treaty established by the President – was a complete failure. Quite the opposite of its intended purpose, it escalated the events leading to war…_

The next day, he woke Rose earlier than she would have liked, but her tiredness was soon forgotten when he reminded her of their plans. She had spent the whole of last week packing all her and the Doctor's things. Her family knew the TARDIS had been practically near completion; however, Jackie Tyler was shocked to hear that they had already taken her out on a test-flight. The entire Tyler family was gathered in the sitting room of the mansion. Off to one side the Doctor and Pete were discussing recent business of some sort, young Tony was colouring on the floor, and both Jackie and Rose were huddled on the sofa.

"Oh, sweetheart! I thought I'd have at least another few weeks with you!" Jackie murmured while hugging her daughter.

"It's okay, mum. We're gonna call and visit, yeah?"

"I know. I've just gotten so used to havin' you here. But maybe it's for the best. Now that himself is done spending all his time on that machine, he'd better be spendin' it all on _you_. I don't understand why you two haven't just gotten together properly yet, I mean, when I found Pete again, we couldn't keep our hands off each other. I don't get what's stopping you, I really don't, and –"

"Mum!" Rose warned, casting a quick eye towards the man in question. Thankfully he was too engrossed in his own conversation to pay them any mind.

"Well it's true!" Jackie continued in a lower voice. "You're both are so in love, you are, and yet like a couple of teenagers you just let things be as they are. Bein' alone with him in that box again – never mind it being 'bigger on the inside' – will do you both some good, it will."

Rose curled a strand of hair behind her ear, slightly embarrassed by the topic of conversation, one she was having with her mother no less. "We've both just been _busy_. He's been workin' on the TARDIS, and I was helping dad at work and you with Tony. But now that we're travelling again… I dunno. Things are different. They're going back to the way they were before. We're no good at staying in one place, either of us." She stared down at her hands with a small smile, remembering how easy their relationship had been when they travelled.

She felt a tug on her sleeve and looked down at her brother. He proudly presented her with a messy crayon portrait of what could only be described as a blue smudge on a purple smudge, in space.

"Wose, it's for you! It's the TA'IS and it's on Waxicowicofawapatowious!" he slurred, still learning to enunciate his words – and more importantly, alien planets and species – properly. From behind him, a strong pair of arms reached out and lifted him off his feet. The young boy giggled delightfully and was perched on the Doctor's shoulders.

"That's perfect Tony! A true work of art, isn't it Rose? That's just beautiful! We're gonna have to put it up on the wall, with a _biiiiig_ frame!"

Tony giggled again and nodded hugely.

Over the time the Doctor had been in Pete's World, he hadn't gotten to know many people: a few of Rose and Pete's colleagues from Torchwood and the odd neighbour and technician, yet out of everyone, by far, Tony was his favorite. They had bonded whilst getting yelled at by Jackie together after causing a slight mud disaster in the kitchen. Well, he wouldn't say _disaster_, more of a mishap, really. Either way, it was the kind of experience that tended to bring people closer together.

After that, the child of four would sometimes help the Doctor with some easy tinkering, especially in the early stages of the TARDIS's development. She was almost like their pet; sitting in a tank needing constant cleaning and electrical feeding.

The boy was so gleeful and childish, much like him at times. He loved to explore and had a knack of finding trouble. He would be a complete disaster to take into space and the Doctor just couldn't _wait_ to take him (for, you see, Jackie had set some very strict rules concerning the time and space boundaries of her toddler – ones which the Doctor completely agreed with, sort of mostly kind of, but not really).

Pete stepped in and took his son from the Doctor's shoulders.

"Now, Tony, wasn't there something you wanted to say?" his father prompted.

The child thought for a moment, then ran to hug both the Doctor and Rose by their legs at the same time. "Thank you for staying with me and not going away forever. I love you and miss you!"

Rose bent down and hugged him in earnest. "I'm glad I stayed too," she whispered, and snuck a glance up at the Doctor, sharing a small smile with him. In the long run, she knew she had made the right choice. "And we're gonna miss you too. We'll bring back some alien toys for you, okay?"

Tony grinned and hugged them tighter. Jackie had watery eyes and joined in, pulling the Doctor forcefully towards her when he tried to get away.

"Call every day, alright? And Doctor… you'd better bring my daughter home alive." She pulled back abruptly to give him a dark, warning glare.

He gulped under her threatening gaze. "I will do everything in my power to make sure Rose is safe."

Rose rolled her eyes. "I can take care of myself just fine."

The rest of the goodbyes were exchanged, and soon the Doctor and Rose were walking out to the TARDIS.

He grinned at her boyishly. "Would you like to do the honors?"

She grinned, slipping her new key into the keyhole. The door creaked open invitingly and the pair couldn't help but giggle excitedly.

"You ready, Rose Tyler?"

She reached down and grabbed his hand in hers firmly.

"Take me to the stars, Doctor!"

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**So... chapter 1... whatdya think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Beta: orchids117**

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**Chapter 2**

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"Rose Tyler, I present to you… Daikuroda!" the Doctor announced, pushing the TARDIS doors open with a dramatic flair, revealing a brave new world. She smiled and took his hand as they exited.

"So what's here?" she asked, accustomed to the Doctor's ramblings about each place they went.

"I don't know. I literally do not know; isn't that exciting? This planet doesn't exist in the other universe and the book didn't tell me much."

"So does that make us explorers then?" she asked with a playful smile.

"Kind of does, yeah," he beamed and pulled her behind him as they ventured out into the new territory.

The ground was completely covered in sand, yet the trees were plentiful. The leaves were hard to differentiate from the sky above, as they were both the same glorious shade of blue. The trunks were a light tan colour, with a patchy red moss growing up from the floor.

Directly in front of them was a giant mountain soaring high into the midday sky. It was covered in the same blue-leaved trees and was almost invisible against the wide skyline. To their right, they could see puffs of grey smoke rising into the atmosphere, a sign of the civilization.

They headed in that direction and were greeted by primitive dwellings of purple animal hides and branches in tipi formation. At the sudden arrival of the newcomers the people stopped and turned to stare. They were scarcely dressed with coverings of soft green wool and adorned themselves with jewellery of creamy white bone chips. Their skin was translucent, appearing grey under the sunlight, as did their eyes and braided hair. An older man with a walking stick approached them and loudly inquired in a throaty and garbled tongue as to who they were. It took only the one sentence for the TARDIS to dissect the language and begin translation for the pair.

"I say again: who are you, strange wanderers?" the old man repeated with an edge in his voice.

The Doctor bowed his head slightly in respect for the tribe leader and held his fist out in front of him as he spoke. "My name is the Doctor and this is Rose."

The older man appraised the couple and decided by their smiles that they were kind-hearted. He touched his fist to the Doctor's in a fist-bump – their version of a common handshake.

The people in the settlement visibly relaxed when their leader kindly gestured for Rose and the Doctor to follow him. "Welcome. I am Elder Redleaf, and this is my village."

As they were taken on a tour of the quaint little town, the Doctor immediately noticed that it was more advanced than it had first appeared to be. They had trade routes with other tribes and a large, well organized gathering system for food and supplies.

The Elder motioned for some of the workers to step forward. "Doctor, I would like you to meet some of our best workers. Bluebark, Songmaker, Undermoss, and Lakebloom."

Each of the workers bowed their heads minutely and extended their fists to the pair. The workers were all dressed thicker layers than the rest of the populous, and they all had their silver hair pulled up three long cascading braids, even the men.

"Gan'pa, Gan'pa! There you are!"

From behind them, a little girl came running, a huge flower clutched in her hand, and engulfed Redleaf in a giant hug. Her hair was loose and wispy with the occasional small flower poking out.

"Ah, Flowerpetal!" he grinned. Despite his advancing age, he was still able to pick her up off the ground and swing her around. "Where have you been all morning? You missed the excitement!"

She seemed not to have noticed Rose and the Doctor, and continued talking excitedly. "I was at the pond with Branchling and she lost her doll and then it was in the water and we used a stick and it wouldn't come so we were going to jump in but then I know I'm not allowed to without mommy or pappy but she was going to go anyways but I stopped her and she remembered that it wasn't even her doll it was Greenfeather's so it didn't matter but… then…" she trailed off, finally noticing the pair watching her with bemused smiles.

Redleaf placed a hand on her head. "Flowerpetal, say hello to our guests! They have come from far away." The young girl became shy and hid behind her flower, unsure of the aliens before her. "This is my granddaughter. She is bashful when she should speak up, but when she should hold her silence, she talks endlessly! But as I was saying about the workers…"

While the Doctor and Elder Redleaf continued talking, Rose and Flowerpetal were simply looking at each other. Former eventually bent down to the girl's height and extended her fist slowly.

"Hello, I'm Rose. You're Flowerpetal, right?"

Rose smiled warmly when Flowerpetal extended her fist timidly to meet hers and nodded mutely.

"I like your flower. What kind is it?"

The girl slowly lowered it and blinked a couple of times, before saying softly, "It's a garobkada. They're my favourite."

Rose winked as if confiding a big secret and whispered, "I think they're my new favourite too."

Flowerpetal grinned and grabbed her hand. "Come! I'll show you where to get some!"

She began pulling the crouched Rose towards the field. Rose would have fallen over if not for the Doctor still holding on to her other hand. She carefully pulled her hand away from his, stood up, and waved goodbye to the men as Flowerpetal rushed ahead.

The little girl helped Rose pick five flowers from her secret flower patch and then helped her weave them together into a crown. In a lot of ways, Redleaf's granddaughter reminded her of Tony, which only aided in them getting along so well.

All too soon it was time for them to part ways and Rose rejoined the Doctor and the Elder in the tour of the village.

They saw some of the entertainment; the theatre, a games arena, and the children's play area seemed to be the favourites of the village. They saw some of the hunters' equipment and the farmers' crops. They eventually found themselves at a river which flowed from the top of the mountain down through the village below and beyond. There were several fishermen hard at work with their nets, so the young travellers made sure not to interfere.

The Elder smiled kindly when he saw their hesitation. "Do not worry, Doctor and Rose; take enjoyment! Here is a raft, I will meet you at the bottom," he suggested, leaving them with a weak looking yet sturdy raft of broken branches and tightly wound twine just strong enough to carry their weight down the gently flowing stream.

They lay back on the wood with a small basket of fruits from the harvesters and watched the sky, childishly seeing shapes in the clouds which were not.

"It's so peaceful here," Rose remarked after some silence. The only sounds were the fluttering of the birds and the swish of the calm brook. The Doctor hummed in agreement and offered her a juicy pink berry. She took it from his fingers with her teeth and laughed as the fruit burst and sprayed juice in every direction, staining the light wood.

"This planet moves so slowly! It's almost as still as the TARDIS in the vortex."

She looked at him with slight confusion.

He sighed heavily. "Remember when we first met, and I told you how I could feel the spin of the Earth? Well I still can. And this planet… it's nice."

Rose smiled and propped herself up on her elbows, bringing her face closer to the sun. The Doctor looked in awe at her shimmering beauty and couldn't stop the words from leaving his lips. "I could show you, if you want."

She opened her eyes and saw his hands outstretched towards her, his intentions clear.

"Um, okay," she agreed shyly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. They had never done this before, touched minds. She had always wondered…

They sat cross-legged, facing each other and he slid his fingers over her temples, eyes closed.

Rose bit down on her lip. "Is there anything I need to do? Empty my mind or somethin'?"

"Nope, this is just you entering a sliver of my mind; I won't touch yours." His voice was soft and soothing. He gave her a reassuring smile and rubbed light circles against her temples, trying to make her relax into his touch.

She finally closed her eyes, waiting for something to happen. The Doctor's telepathic connection was not as strong as it used to be, now that he was half human, but he could still maintain a strong link if he concentrated enough – which was proving difficult given his proximity to a certain young blonde.

Deep breath.

He gently pulled back just enough of his mental shielding to allow her to see what he sees; to _feel_ what he can. Suddenly, her mind was flooded with a colossal wave of information. She was entrapped in his senses, experiencing the world through his acute receptors and hyperactive analyzers.

But there, beneath all the white noise of the passing world, was a gentle movement, a circular rotation spinning in on itself. It was not dizzying or distracting, as she had expected, but rather gentle, as a rocking crib or a soothing sway. It was strange, for certain, but lovely and reassuring nonetheless.

She could feel her thoughts numbing and her cares leaving her body, completely relaxed and comfortable. She was about to make a comment on the feeling, when a quivering heave pulled at her insides. The planet was shifting, turning the opposite direction. She could feel the Doctor's confusion and he momentarily forgot about their connection, letting his mind wander to complicated scientific places she dared not venture again; they made her head hurt. However, just as fast as the change happened, everything returned to normal and the turning was tranquil once more. The Doctor slipped his mind closed and carefully pulled his fingers away from Rose's temple, opening his eyes to meet hers

"Sorry about that. I don't know what happened. It was almost like… the planet was being pulled backwards and then released. Huh." He stared off into the distance in thought.

Rose smiled. "That was amazing. Is that what you feel all the time?"

"Well, different planets have different rotation speeds, but essentially, yes."

She leaned her head back against the raft once more and slipped into an almost-sleep state, resting happily as the waves carried them down to the base of the mountain where they were reunited with Elder Redleaf.

Abandoning the raft, their tour brought them to a cavern near the bottom of the mountain. Embellishing the walls were massive cave paintings depicting scenes of wondrous salvation. In an intricate weave of colour and detail there were drawn massive circular discs descending from the sky, shooting a disintegrating beam of blue and green. Farther down the wall there was a picture of a man in a box who sent the ships away with all the authority of a presence to be feared. He stood tall with a small, glowing metal instrument in his hand and people ran to him for protection.

"This is the story of the Grand Healer," the Elder explained. "There was a time of war among the universe, back in the times of my forefathers' youth. The gods were enraged with the battle-bringers and sent down flames from the sky. People were being reversed to dust by demons. Until one day, the promised Healer came and stopped all the death. He sent the wicked ones away, saving the planet from destruction.

"It has been long foretold that he will come again, but with another face, from another time, and save us again from fire. However, his bravery will come at great cost. He will experience pain of heart. He is our Rescuer; our Mender; our Physician. He brings hope to every generation, yet we know not whether he will survive the power of his great foe."

The Doctor's hand went to his hair. There was something so _familiar_ about it all, but what? Could it be that there had at one time been a Doctor existing in this universe? Was he still alive? The Healer with another face from another time, could it be referring to him? And what was that about him not surviving his enemy? Were the Daleks coming back? _Again_? If not, then who was this 'foe' who would undoubtedly kill him? He ignored the premonition for now, not wanting to spoil a perfectly good day by worrying Rose.

They joined the tribe around a massive bonfire and enjoyed their delicacies that evening. Admittedly, the prospect of fried fish eye and berry soup garnished with slug mucus coated bark did not sound very appetizing, but they'd both had worse.

The night carried on and the sky was beginning to darken. Soon it was evening and they would have to return to the TARDIS. Through their laughter, they announced their departure to the kind people and stood to leave the village.

"Nonsense! You will stay here with us tonight! I'm sure we can find a family with space for you!" Elder Redleaf declared.

The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand, intertwining their fingers, and came to a non-verbal agreement to stay.

Redleaf clapped his hands. "How wonderful! I will find a female to house you, Rose. Doctor, you can stay with me. Unless…" He looked down at their joined hands and his eyes widened. "Oh, how rude of me! I should have noticed earlier! You are waiting for Unification? Flowerpetal, come prepare these two for the ceremony! I'm sure they would like it done as soon as possible." He then grabbed the pair's other hands and smiled sheepishly. "I apologize; I assumed incorrectly, though I now realize my mistake! Do not worry about the sleeping arrangements; I will have the Sacred Tent readied."

With a wide grin, Elder Redleaf hurried through the now bustling crowd. They were all murmuring excitedly about the upcoming Unification; there hadn't been one since Lakebloom joined the tribe. The Doctor and Rose looked at each other for answers, but they were pulled away in separate directions by the excited throng. A group of young girls came in and pulled at Rose's hair, twisting it into a beautiful braid adorned with little pink flowers. The Doctor had a long necklace draped around his neck and soon the two were re-united in front of the Sacred Tent.

The Elder returned and looked at the pair. "Lovely! Now, join hands," he directed and they did as they were told, utterly confused. "It shall begin."

From the crowd, three additional older ones stepped forward and they joined hands with the Elder, encircling the pair. They muttered a chanting song while a young boy played a drum somewhere in the distance. A few of the women shed tears of joy at the beautiful occasion and everyone was very enthralled with both the ceremony and the lovely couple. Except of course the very confused Doctor and Rose.

Soon, the chanters parted and pushed the pair to the entrance of the small tipi.

The Elder addressed the audience with upturned hands. "The ceremony will soon be complete. We may now disperse in silence and leave the Newcomers to partake of the final step," he said, and with knowing smiles, the villagers began to leave. "Do not worry; the Sacred Tent is prepared specifically for your needs. You will disturb no one," Elder Redleaf whispered quietly as he pushed them through the cloth doorway.

Near the far end of the round structure was a small burning candle which only let off enough light to make out the basic shapes around them. Sprawled across the floor were layers upon layers of large pillows, covered with beautifully scented petals.

Rose looked to the Doctor with confusion clearly written across her features. His face was away from the candlelight and his expression was completely shadowed; no emotion could be seen.

"Um, Doctor? What just happened? Were they welcoming us to the tribe or somethin'?" she asked, stroking her thumb along the back of his hand.

He shifted uncomfortably. "Erm... Well… In some cultures, holding hands is a sign of engagement or a way of, um, declaring the desire to be, uh, wed and, well, I think... I think we just got married..."

Rose's eyes widened and her hand stilled.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"And this 'Sacred Tent'...?"

His face turned a deep shade of red. "Uh... honeymoon suite..."

She blinked slowly. "... I see."

Rose's hand suddenly felt awkward in his, but pulling it away seemed like an even worse option. They had been married once before, back in the other universe. They had laughed at the situation and made jokes, but this time it was different. She was blushing furiously and she knew the Doctor was pulling his ear nervously. She tried to think of a way to lighten the mood, but the only thing registering in her mind was the sensation of his lips on hers back on Bad Wolf Bay.

They were married. This was a honeymoon suite. For 'completing' the Unification.

On the petal covered pillows.

In the dancing candlelight.

Her heart stopped and she sucked in a breath.

"Rose..." he murmured and a shiver ran down her spine.

"Yes?" she squeaked.

He was about to step towards her, but hesitated. He swallowed loudly and changed his mind, turning towards the mass of pillows instead. "Well... we might as well... uh..." Rose tried to see the expression on his face but it was still too dark. "W- we might as well..." He hastily let go of her hand and jumped onto the 'bed'. "Sleep! Isn't sleep brilliant? I never needed much sleep before, but it's so relaxing. And the dreams! Dreaming is wonderful! Come dream with me Rose!" he said, forcing a nervous grin and patting the spot next to him.

With a worsening blush, she tried to rid herself of the direction her thoughts had inevitably been heading in, and she lay back next to him, innocently, much to her dismay. Despite his declaration of love back at the beach, there was still much uncertainty in their relationship. The Doctor hadn't been together with someone in _that_ way (well, _any_ way, really) for centuries. Rose was still unsure over his true intentions. He hadn't made a move on her since they'd been stranded. Was his love merely platonic? They had resumed their travels in the same friendly way as before, sans the closeness they both craved. Did he not want to be with her in the way _she_ wanted them to be? Either way they would stay with each other forever, both waiting for the other to make the first move.

They turned on their sides and faced each other; the Doctor moved the candle closer so they could see the other better.

"Rose," he sighed, wholly content.

"Yeah, Doctor?"

He stroked his knuckles down the side of her face and mapped every feature with his eyes. Her breath hitched at the way he was looking at her.

"You're so beautiful," he breathed tenderly. She wasn't sure she had heard him right until his hand turned and cupped her cheek, gently pulling her face closer to his own. Perhaps now was the time. Maybe they would at last make the final jump towards the unavoidable.

Their noses bumped and brushed delicately, a teasing preview of what was to come. Breaths mixed and combined into one. Eyes slid closed in expectancy. Fingertips tingled in anticipation.

Their spell was broken by a tremor so profound it left them both momentarily dazed.

From somewhere deep beneath the earth, the ground began to quake violently. Screams of terror came from the surrounding tents and the peaceful citizens of Daikuroda fled in terror.

"Doctor!" Rose's voice shook as she held him to steady herself. He jumped to his feet and whipped out his sonic screwdriver to scan everything: the ground, the air, the mountain. _The mountain_. Something was stirring beneath the earth's crust that was threatening the stability of the planet.

"We have to get back to the TARDIS! The planet's rotational axis is starting to slip and…" But as quickly as the earthquake started, it stopped. Sometime during the shocks the candle had toppled over and extinguished itself, leaving the pair in darkness. Their hands found each other instinctively and they exited into the night. The bonfire was still alit and most of the population was gathered around it for comfort. The Doctor was still busy with his screwdriver, perplexed by the readings.

"What is it?" Rose asked as the young Flowerpetal took refuge in her arms.

"I don't understand. How could this be happening? The rotational axis of the planet is changing! It's being pulled away from its regular elliptical turn, causing the planet's crust to destabilize and shift. But _how_? The only explanation is…" His eyes widened. "No. It can't be! Something is overtaking its gravitational orbit! We need…" Another wave of shocks began. "We need to get back to the TARDIS. That mountain is going to erupt!"

Rose gave the Doctor a horrified look. "But we can't just leave these people!"

He grinned wickedly. "C'mon Rose! Don't you know me at all? I just need to make a gravitational singularity with an infinite space-time curvature, causing gravitational collapse in the plane of rotation of infinite density! The magma's internal pressure will be insufficient to resist the planet's own gravity and there will be too little thermal fuel left to maintain its temperature through stellar nucleosynthesis!" He bounced on the balls of his feet excitedly. "Oh, that's brilliant!"

"English please," Rose answered, completely confused.

"A black hole! My people invented them, you know. It shouldn't be that hard; the angular momentum can be measured from far away using frame dragging by the gravitomagnetic field. Then it'll collapse in on itself and the mountain will be empty! No more volcano!"

The Doctor dragged Rose back to the TARDIS, where he spent ten minutes putting together the black hole creating and stabilizing device using odds and ends. Rose argued that the plan sounded dangerous, but in a very Doctor-like fashion, he proceeded onwards, completely confident in his superior Time Lord brain. They moved the TARDIS to the base of the mountain and the people ran to it, taking sanctuary at the comforting wheezing and groaning.

The ground shook again, throwing down trees and launching people in wild directions. With an ear-shattering explosion of fire and rage, the top of the mountain blew off and thick black smoke emerged from the hole, followed by a blinding white ash and a steady stream of thick red lava digesting the cerulean trees.

Elder Redleaf fell to his knees, crying out to the sky for the Healer to come save them from the fire.

The Doctor was in a panic. He was too late. He had to save them. He turned to Rose and took her desperately by the shoulders.

"Rose, listen to me. Please. I need you to help these people. Bring them all into the TARDIS; the shields will protect you until… until I get back. Can you do that for me?"

Tears prickled her eyes.

"Where are you going? Where are you going that's so dangerous? You can't leave me again!"

He lifted his eyes to the top of the volcano and hung his head in shame.

"Rose, there isn't much time. I have to activate the black hole or we're all going to die. I have to run up to the top. Please, Rose, save these people. And I promise… I'll be back for you." Tears fell down her dirtying face and she held onto him for dear life. "Rose, I… I…"

She pulled his face to hers with shaking hands and kissed his sweating forehead. "Shh, it's okay. I know. Go. Go save the world, my Doctor."

With a final squeeze, he turned and ran; he ran for the lives of every being on Daikuroda; for every life he had ever failed to save; for every moment with Rose that was yet to come. They would all survive this; he would make sure of it.

His legs ached as they were whipped by the passing branches and foliage. He struggled against the fallen trunks and against the dips and valleys in the obscured woodland. He allowed himself no moment of pause until he reached the illuminating wall of steaming ruby and scarlet dripping ever closer. The hot vapour burned his skin and restricted his breathing. The smoke burned his lungs, every breath a shot of poison to his being.

He gathered the device safely in his arms and jumped from rock to fallen bough, crossing the perilous molten rock and volcanic emission. At last, he peered down into the bubbling abyss that was dooming the innocent and young. These people had so much life ahead of them, so many years yet to live. They were on the brink of advancement; who was he to let this nightmare limit their potential?

He took a deep breath, pressed the button, and threw the device down, as far down into to the bottomless chasm as it would go. In the span of only a few seconds, a small circular void appeared and grew, grew into a spinning fissure of obscurity.

The constantly ebbing thick matter slowed and abruptly halted, suspended in a gravityless bubble of electrical energy and fields. There was a moment of immobility, of quiet. The calm before the storm.

And like the suddenness of a clap of thunder the world began to be pulled in. Leaves swirled in the air around him and his hair whipped his forehead. The magma was pulled into the barren darkness where nothing could exist. As the movements of the eruption were pulled to a climactic rise, the singularity vanished into a vacuum of oblivion. Just like that, it was gone, leaving an empty cragged precipice in its place. No magma; no light; no death. In the dim heavenly light the only things seen were the trails of a devastation that was no more.

From the monitor, Rose had seen it. Through the awe and panic of the people, she had seen it all. The fear and panic in the Doctor's eyes while staring down into the mouth of the volcano while the impossibly hot, blood-red fluid of desolation swirled around him in ribbons descending to their death. And now he was running back home, safe and sound as promised.

She ran to meet him halfway and as unstoppable forces they collided, gripping each other in relief and dread over what might have been. They were in their own world of life and victory, barely recognizing the grateful people surrounding them with cheers. Elder Redleaf's proclamations eventually drew them out of their stupor.

"… and so fall to the ground my people, and praise the mighty Healer, who as prophesied, has come to us in his impossible box to eat the fire and destruction!"

Rose giggled at the Doctor's startled look as the tribe all bowed to their god of protection. The Healer; the Doctor.

"So, remind me again... how many civilizations worship you?"she teased, giving him her trademark smile.

The Doctor scratched his head in mock-thought.

"Including this one? That would be, uh, all of them?" he stated with a smile.

He could have easily complained and convinced them otherwise, but why disappoint them? They had just met their idol, their saviour. They were beyond elated. So, puffing out his chest and giving off an air of importance, he walked through the crowd back towards the TARDIS.

"Yes, people of Daikuroda, it is I: the Great Healer! Now, if you don't mind us, the goddess Rose and I must depart! We thank you for your hospitality."

He bowed in a final goodbye, ushered the wildly giggling Rose into the TARDIS, and dematerialized before wide and dumbfounded eyes.

Once the pair were safely floating in the vortex, they turned to each other with matching grins.

"That was quite impressive 'Great Healer'. Emptying a volcano in less than five minutes? Definitely praise-worthy."

The Doctor adjusted his tie and waved off the compliment.

"I try," he snobbishly replied, but failed in keeping his tone serious. He began to laugh again as the adrenaline dissipated in his system. Rose simply bit her lip and stared. He could have died, yet there he was, with her, perfectly fine.

"Thank you, Doctor."

She gazed at him with such tenderness that another hug was implicit. As they held each other happily, Rose stifled a yawn and buried her head in his neck.

"C'mon Rose, you should get some rest."

He held her hand and walked her to her bedroom door in silence. He knew he should leave her to her business, but he didn't feel like leaving just yet; not before he gently moved some hair from her eyes and brushed his lips across her smooth cheek in a sweet goodnight kiss.

"Goodnight. I hope you sleep well, _wife_," he joked.

"Likewise, _husband_," she blushed and retreated into her bedroom to revel in the feel of his mouth on her skin.

He made his way to his own room with a satisfied quirk to his lips and a yawn of his own. Before sleep overtook him with thoughts of Rose, however, he opened his precious book and read a few more pages.

_The bloodbath spanned across the universe and through the Time Vortex itself. As the Daleks penetrated Gallifrey's superior defences and overcame Rassilon's technologies, the superiority of the Time Lord race was tested like never before. Arcadia, Gallifrey's second city, began to fall. The Skaro Degradations led to the destruction of Arcadia's sky-trenches, leaving the city defenceless. The High Counsel of Gallifrey desperately used every weapon in their possession, including the long sealed and thought lost Omega Arsenal. The destruction was great and the Daleks were quickly becoming the victors. As the Time Lord's plans failed, Rassilon, the founder of their great society, named himself Lord President. He manipulated the High Counsel into implementing the _Ultimate Sanction_, a genocide scheme which threatened all of creation…_

* * *

**Thoughts would be much appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Big thanks to _orchids117_ for all her help with this chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Rose rubbed her eyes groggily, trying to orientate herself. They had been running… there had been shooting… dirt walls and metal bars…

To her right, she could hear the distinct sound of the sonic screwdriver's familiar buzzing, immediately dissipating her worries.

"D- Doctor?" she croaked through her dry mouth.

The partial Time Lord quickly jumped down from the chair he had been standing on and rushed to her side.

"Shh, try not to speak," he silenced and walked across the cell. He came back with a small glass of water, coming closer to ease some of the hydrating fluid into her parched mouth. She sighed in relief as the cool liquid rushed over her rough throat.

"What happened?" she asked, sitting up. It was only now that she realized her surroundings. She was lying on a brown dust floor, surrounded by identical brown dust walls and a small barred door. The small cell was illuminated by a dingy yellow light bulb strung in from the outer hallway. The only things in the room other than themselves were a small tub of water in the corner and a chair, which the Doctor was climbing up on again.

"Don't you remember?" he asked.

She shook her head and he sighed.

"I guess you hit your head harder than I thought…" he muttered partially to himself and filled her in on the last two hours.

* * *

As soon as the TARDIS doors had opened, the Doctor was being pulled aside at gunpoint. Large, burly men in dark uniforms restrained him while they dragged Rose out and threw her carelessly at his feet. They had landed in a market of some sort, stalls lining the large passageway in every direction. It was also clear that they were underground.

The guards scowled in disgust at the intruders and one of them prodded Rose with the end of his gun as one would a rotting animal. From among the group, a commanding officer stepped forward and began barking orders to his subjugates, demanding that immediate action be taken to ensure the continued protection of the people – namely the imprisonment of the impostors and the confiscation of their horrid, coloured box.

Without hesitation, the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her aside him as they ran. They weaved through the shacks and market booths with relative ease, for the shooters did not intend to harm any of their own.

As they pushed their way past angry vendors, tables were knocked over and merchandise was broken. The Doctor offered half-hearted apologies in passing but was far more concerned with staying alive and unscathed. His eyes searched every alley and scanned every corner. Relief shot through his pounding heart when he saw an escape coming up on his right.

With a firm tug at Rose's arm, he jerked them down an alley and wound them through dizzyingly twisted passages. Once enough distance was put between the capturers and the fugitives, the Doctor stopped and let Rose catch her breath in the hot, sticky air. They were in a small dark space serving as a storage area for spare pipes and wires. As Rose calmed her breathing, the Doctor inspected one of the pipes, dusting away some soil from its exterior. Written in bold letters was the name of the planet.

Rose groaned. "Seriously, Doctor? Of all the places we could go, you land us in the middle of a _public_ market on _Aabkud_?"

He gave her a disgruntled look. "Why? What's so bad about Aabkud?"

She huffed. "Well, nothing if it was about a hundred years ago. But _now_? Good luck getting the TARDIS back in one piece."

His eyes widened in genuine horror. "What will they do to her?"

Rose sat down against the wall and sighed. "They'll probably try to burn her first. Or rip her apart. And when that doesn't work they'll do _anything_ to get the colour off."

The Doctor scoffed and sat next to her. "What's wrong with the colour? It's _TARDIS_ blue!"

"Exactly. They live underground in these caves because they have a… phobia, you could say, of anything colourful. Even their own sky was too bright. And then we come along wearing blue and red, and purple and yellow and land in the middle of a whole crowd of them! Doctor, we've scared them!"

He pulled at his ear. "Right. Probably not the best place then. Where do you think they've taken her? And why is it so _hot_?" he asked, wiping some of the moisture accumulating on his forehead.

"They prefer living in warm environments; the planet's surface is even hotter. And if I remember correctly, the military storage facility is on the other edge of the city. We should hurry."

"How do you know so much about this place, anyway?"

She grinned proudly. "I read about it at the Library."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course. The _one_ book you read just happened–"

"Hey! It's not my fault I can't read as fast as your great Time Lord highness! You could at least–" She stopped as soon as the sound of angry boots was heard again, and they resumed their running. Now that the crowd was not an issue, the soldiers were able to fire openly. The pair ducked and dodged slews of laser blasts as the gunned men approached. The distance between them was getting greater by the second and the Doctor was about to cheer in triumph, when they turned and ran directly into a wall. Dead end.

"Well isn't this _wizard_!" he exclaimed, raising his hands in defeat and turning to face the approaching men. Familiar guns cocked as they were surrounded. The military leader stepped forward.

"You are under arrest on the charges of public displays of colour, disrupting the public market, and conspiracy to recommence the revolution," he recited in an uninterested and monotone voice. "This crime against the Superior Aabkudian regime is punishable by incarceration without trial until such a time that the death ring is made available. As illegal immigrants to this planet, your rights to appeal this decision have been revoked,"

Heavy metal restraints were wrapped around their wrists, producing a small electrical shock every few seconds.. It didn't hurt; it was simply a friendly reminder of their situation. The Doctor guessed that the voltage could easily be turned up, which discouraged him from attempting another flee.

Most of the men left, leaving only the two largest ones to guide them down the winding halls to the holding area. It was taking much longer to arrive than anticipated; the guards were leading them through mostly empty corridors to hopefully diffuse the public's panic. The cells were down a staircase leading even further underground. There were small barred doors in the dirt wall, only on the right side, the left containing shelving units stocked with unimportant emergency supplies.

They were taken to the first cell, uncuffed, and roughly thrown through the gates. Rose's head hit the ground with a deafening thud, to which the Doctor gasped. The doors were locked, the guards left, and the Doctor rushed to Rose's side. He lifted her head up gently to rest in his lap as he looked it over for any problems. Thankfully it wasn't bleeding, just dirty with a thin coat of reddish dust. He called her name and gently pated her cheek, trying to revive her to no avail.

Panic began to rise in his chest as five minutes went by without a response. What if her brain was damaged somehow? He quickly brushed some of her soft hair aside – oh, how he wished he could run his hands through it all day – and placed his fingers at her temple. He strained his mind to push through her unwilling one and eventually broke through. He tried the very best he could to not look at any of her thoughts or memories, no matter how much they were calling to him, and focused only on checking for damage. He sighed in relief as he saw nothing wrong. She might be slightly disoriented upon waking, but everything would be fine. He pulled back gently and left her to rest. Brushing his lips along her forehead and curling his suit jacket under her head, he got up and set to work on finding a way out.

* * *

"Doctor, 's been an hour; I don't think the sonic is working. Now will you please stop resonating concrete again and help me with this lock?" she sighed as he once again aimed the screwdriver at the wall.

He grunted in annoyance. "Please, Rose. This is not concrete. This is rock fragments which have been broken up immensely by weathering and washed down through the soil profile and accumulated in the subsoil, which has then been condensed for centuries. It's _much_ harder to resonate."

Rose put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. "Fine. _I'll_ get us out of here then while you sit there and resonate _dirt_."

With a 'humph', the Doctor came to her side and offered his assistance. She smiled at him sweetly. "Thank you. Now, hold this pin for me," she instructed while she worked. She mentally thanked Torchwood for the very useful skills she had acquired while working there.

Soon the door was unlocked and they began running. Their victory was short lived, however, for an alarm started blaring less than a minute later and they were caught again almost immediately. They were returned to their cell unceremoniously, and the guards roughly took the sonic screwdriver from the Doctor's hands, assuming that it had aided in their escape.

Rose sighed and they both settled down on the dirty floor, facing each other.

"So, what are we going to do?" she asked impatiently. "We can't make it all the way to the TARDIS without getting caught!"

The Doctor groaned in frustration. "Well, you're the one who seems to know so much about this place, so what do you suggest then?"

Rose ran her fingers through the dirt absentmindedly in thought, recalling every piece of information she could. Twenty years ago there had been an attempted revolution. A third of the population wanted to return to the surface. The rebellion was eventually halted, although many were killed in the process. However, those who had managed to survive decided to take things into their own hands. Gathering a few more troops, a large number set to work on creating a tunnel system to smuggle them to the surface, where they could rebuild their life in the abandoned cities. The tunnel system was vast and led to virtually every part of the city – and several other underground cities – so that the unhappy citizens could escape with minimal notice. There was probably one nearby which would take them to the surface, where they could cross the city safely above ground and hopefully find their way to a tunnel leading to the TARDIS.

With a proud grin, Rose sat up straighter and began explaining her plan to the Doctor, drawing vague maps in the dirt to illustrate key points.

They waited until nightfall – which, according to the Doctor, was in reality only midday on the surface, the hidden people having their own time system regardless of the planet's orbit – when the guards would be scarce and the hallways relatively clear. Rose re-picked the lock while the Doctor grumbled about his stolen screwdriver and as the last guard circled, they ran once more.

"The tunnel should be over here," Rose directed.

Behind a shelving unit, there was a large round door which they pulled back to reveal a dark passage just large enough for them to crawl through. It was dusty and looked as though it had been forgotten for decades. The Doctor went through first, using his slightly superior eyesight as a guide, and Rose followed behind him, much appreciating the view of his backside. As they approached the end of the tunnel, they could hear a familiar alarm blaring, alerting the guards of the empty cell.

"Quick, Doctor! Get the latch open!" Rose cried.

"I'm trying!" he growled in concentration as he tried the hatch handle. "It's not working! The lock's too rusted!"

They could hear the voices growing closer and with a sense of dread, the Doctor realized they had forgotten to close the tunnel entrance. Desperate, he began to pound upwards to break open the door. He could feel the metal weakening as his hand began to throb and prepared himself for the rush of hot air he knew was coming. With a final creak, the exit flap gave way. Though, what greeted them was not what they had been expecting. Instead of the scorching heat of a desert planet, they were met with a rush of biting frigid air and a small avalanche of ice.

"I thought you said it would be hot!" the Doctor complained.

"Well, it's supposed to be!"

"We can't go out there; we'll freeze to death!"

The guards had found the tunnel and were beginning to close in on them, fast.

"We don't have any other choice!" Rose shrieked in a panic. With a strong shove, she forced him through the doorway and he helped her out. They stared down at the opening and could see the faint flicker of lights approaching. The Doctor quickly slammed the hatch shut and locked the unrusted half.

"That should hold them back for now, but we really have to go!" he said, grabbing Rose's hand. Now that they were fully outside, they could finally see the world properly. The hatch opened up in the centre of a main square. Or, what was left of it. Surrounding the area was a mass of large glass and steel buildings similar to those of the futuristic New Earth. Only, these were white with a fine layer of ice and frost. The entire city was sheathed in the frozen encasing. Beneath their feet was a blanket of fluffy snow which was so cold that it barely stuck together. Rose pulled her thin jacket tighter around her and shivered violently.

The Doctor rubbed his hands up and down her arms rapidly. "We have to stay warm. In this temperature, you'll get frostbite in less than ten minutes, me in twenty."

"Where're we going?" Rose asked through shaking lips.

The Doctor held her hand tighter and they began very quickly walking towards one of the buildings. The building was two stories high and had a gaping hole in the middle, providing a view of the upper level and sky. Through the open ceiling, small flakes of snow were drifting down to add to the already thickly covered ground. The large building consisted mostly of clothing and jewellery shops; however a large department-type establishment could be seen at the far opposite end. They pushed their way through the frozen doors, practically running to the closest shop.

The store they had run to was a men's clothing outlet, having mostly t-shirts and thin trousers. It could easily be seen that the climate had at one time been solely warm and winterless. They began to desperately search for something warm enough for the current climate.

As Rose came across relatively thick items, she put them on, grateful for their large size as she could layer many articles over each other. Although she was slowly warming, shivers continued to rake her body.

She reached the back of the shop and could see some boots ahead of her. They were large and probably used for hiking or working, but they would no doubt provide more warmth than her current trainers which were leaving her toes completely numb. She rushed forward for them through the layer of snow. Her foot, though, caught on something beneath the white sheet and sent her tumbling into the cold. She cried out in surprise and the Doctor rushed over.

"I'm alright! I just tripped," she reassured.

The Doctor reached out his hand and helped her up, while his other arm brushed away some of the snow, revealing what she had fallen on. They both sucked in freezing shocked gasps. Raising their eyes, they looked out beyond the entrance to the shop and saw what they had been too distracted to see before. They were in a shopping centre which had been at one time full of people; people who were still there, cold and motionless on the ground. Bodies were everywhere, dead and icy, staring blankly up at them. Rose held back a sob and had to turn her head away, burying her body into the Doctor's embrace.

"What ha-happened?" she gasped, teeth clattering.

Unwrapping his arms from around her, he bent down and inspected the nearest body, a clinical mask enveloping his features. She was a young girl, appearing to be about eleven earth years old. Her ashen hair was sprawled out around her head and her blue lips were slightly parted for what had been her last breath. Her white, lifeless eyes stared up at the ceiling, crinkled with a dead smile; she had been completely unaware of her imminent death. Her hand was clutching another beneath the snow; her mother. The older lady was smiling sweetly, eyes closed, her other hand resting gently on the top of her pregnant belly.

"They froze instantly. The temperatures dropped so fast, nobody had time to realize what was happening. You know how on earth they found mammoths frozen with food still in their mouths? Well it's something like that. The air currents of the upper atmosphere probably –" he stopped abruptly as he looked up from the body.

Rose had fallen to the ground, sitting up against the wall, trembling. It was not just the cold which was shaking her body, but the silent tears which cascaded down her flushed, cold skin. She didn't even realize she was crying until a small, shuddering gasp escaped her lips; her face was too cold to feel the pained droplets run down it. She had seen death before; travelling with the Doctor had assured that. In the time spent working at Torchwood after she had gotten trapped, she had quickly learned to deal with it. Everybody dies eventually. However, the innumerable innocent lives that lay lifeless before her, and no doubt over the entire surface of the frozen world, was devastating. Hundreds of thousands dying simultaneously and without reason: children never getting to _really_ live, families never getting to say goodbye.

The Doctor joined her against the wall. With sad eyes, he pulled her to him. She wordlessly climbed onto his lap and let him cradle her against his chest. He rocked her gently, comfortingly, as one would a child. His arms were tight around her, holding her as close as he could. He mumbled reassuring words into her hair – for both their benefit – and relaxed slightly as he felt her calming. Her breaths were becoming more even against his neck, but her shaking was still pronounced. The air was piercing their lungs like knives. The wet snow clung to every available surface and rendered their limbs unfeeling and worthless. The sting of the wind made their eyes water and their teeth clatter.

A strong wind hit them and Rose's shivers became violent spasms through every part of her body. If they didn't find more warmth soon, their fate would no doubt be the same as the citizens on the surface of Aabkud. The Doctor turned his head, placed a loving kiss to Rose's icy hair, and reluctantly stood up.

With a final sniffle, Rose joined him. She grabbed his hand and the boots, before they hurried to the department store at the other end, purposefully keeping their eyes off the ground.

The Doctor scanned the directory sign with his eyes; there was a basement level to the store which was covered and most likely was closed off from the snow and wind. He hurried them there, taking the still escalator two steps at a time down to the unknown. As predicted, there was no snow anywhere, and as an added benefit, this area seemed to have been closed off during the freezing incident that had killed so many people; there were no bodies.

"Rose?"

There were a couple of mattresses on display in the corner. She longed for the supple embrace of a warm bed more than she ever had before. Her eyes were drooping already. Sleep. Oh, how wonderful sleep would be right now. She could no longer feel any part of her body and her mind seemed to want to follow.

"_Rose?_" the Doctor repeated, panicked by her lack of response and the deadening look on her face. He bent down and forced her to look directly at him. "Rose, you need to keep moving, you understand? You need to stay warm and awake. See if you can find us something to burn, okay? Bring as much as you can to that electronics display over there."

"I can't feel my hands," she mumbled.

He brought them to his mouth and blew tepid air over them. "I know; that's why we need a fire. Do you think you could do that?"

Rose nodded mutely and stumbled towards an aisle in search.

The Doctor hesitantly watched her go, debating on whether he should follow her or not. He decided that if she hadn't returned in ten minutes, he would go looking for her. Until then, he busied himself with small tasks. He dragged a couple of mattresses over to where they would make the fire. He first had them side-by-side, but after some selfish contemplation, he piled them on top of each other to make one bed raised off the ground. He reasoned that it was to conserve body heat, but really, he knew it was just an excuse to hold her again.

He found some packages of dried, bread-like foods which had been preserved in the cold and a sort of purple vegetable which would cook over the fire. Near a sporting goods section, the Doctor found the rest of what he needed: matches, a torch – surprisingly, with batteries included – and a couple of insulated sleeping bags. He hurried back to the electronics display with his finds and waited for Rose. Thankfully, she was walking towards him when he arrived and he didn't have to go looking for her. Although, it didn't seem like she could take much more of the cold. Behind her, she was dragging a large cardboard box full of books and wooden chair legs. She walked rigidly towards the pile of mattresses, full of hope and relief. She could rest at last.

The sun was setting and the light filtering in through the doorway was diminishing at an alarming rate. The Doctor thanked Rose quickly for her work and began piling the combustible items into a protective pit he had made of durable metal sculptures that had been on display nearby. Using the matches, he ignited some paper and watched as the sparks spread to the wood. As the fire started and illuminated the immediate area, he looked worriedly at the shivering Rose. In a burst of brilliance, he zipped the two sleeping bags together to make one large one, which they could share. If asked, he would fervently deny thinking of anything but her safety. No, he was definitely not thinking of how enjoyable it would be to share such a small and intimate space with her.

"Rose," he called, nudging her shoulder.

"Hmm?"

He sighed. She was barely registering him.

"Wake up," he tried again, more insistently. He shook her lightly and she moaned in protest. "Just… Just get inside here and you can go back to sleep, okay?" he coaxed, holding the warm bag towards her invitingly.

One weary eye popped open, then the other. Rose saw the item in his hands and caught on to what he wanted of her. She lazily lifted her arms and legs in his direction and mumbled incoherently.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

She lifted her head from the mattress and tried again. "I said: I'm not moving. So, just… you know."

She lifted her legs again and indicated that he put her inside the sleeping bag himself.

"Ah," he acknowledged. He lifted her body off the bed and manoeuvred her until she was safely in the warm cocoon. He then rushed to the other side and climbed in behind her. She raised a questioning eyebrow.

"What? We have to conserve body heat!" he defended.

He shifted them so that she was closest to the fire but he could still reach over her to poke at the flames if need be. She tried to hide her grin, but she had to admit, she quite enjoyed this position. She snuggled closer to him and lifted her face towards the warmth radiating off the fire.

The Doctor wound his arm around her waist as she drifted off to sleep once more. From her lips escaped a small content sigh, and his muscles constricted to pull her closer.

He mentally kicked himself. What was it with these annoying human impulses? Ever since he was born ino this metacrisis body, he felt an irrational need to be constantly touching and holding Rose. Sure, they held hands and hugged all the time when he was a full Time Lord, but now it was different. Their contact was no longer for comfort alone. There was a new, physical reaction that her skin against his elicited. It felt like a mix of tingling remains of fleeting regeneration energy and a soothingly hot burning that lingered long after she abandoned her touch. He felt like he could never hold her close enough; he wanted every one of his senses filled completely and solely with Rose.

She moved against him in her sleep and with a start, he realized the new, quickened pace his heart had taken. She was going to kill him one day; he swore it. He had only one heart now, and she was going to make it beat into oblivion one of these days. What was it that humans called it? A heart attack? Yes, she was going to give him a heart attack.

He looked down at her and took in the lovely shade of pink on her cheeks and the way her lips were parted ever so slightly. Even her light snores were causing a dangerous mix of chemicals in his veins. It was very distracting. He ran a free hand over his face and held his breath as she shifted again in her sleep. Control. He needed more control. However, she was asleep… It wouldn't hurt _too_ much to indulge just a little. He reasoned that it would be okay to move his hand just that tiny bit lower to the very base of her back. The very, _very_ base. Yes, that was fine; not breaking any boundaries. And if, say, her head just happened to be resting in the crook of his neck, causing her lips to find themselves on the very sensitive skin of his throat as she mumbled in her sleep, that was not _his_ fault... And if –

No. He had to stop. Otherwise, it was certain he would let himself go too far. What would Rose think if she knew what he was running through his mind? What would _Jackie _think?

And on that note, his thoughts shifted onto a very different topic. Like this planet, for example. Why was it so cold? What could have caused it to freeze so quickly? The inhabitants lived in underground tunnels. Perhaps in the creation of the tunnels, they drilled too far down and tampered with the planet's crust, which would cause a surface atmospheric disturbance. Yet, there would still be an indicator in the tunnels if this had happened.

Maybe a meteor shower damaged the atmosphere's outer shell. The planet's atmosphere is designed to maintain the warmth radiating from the core; Aabkud is too far away from this planetary system's sun to obtain enough heat on its own. But that would take too much time.

Now that he _really_ thought about it, something seemed off about this place. Something about the planet's movements just didn't _feel_ right. He contemplated this for a few hours, occasionally adding fuel to the burning fire. When he got back to the TARDIS he'd have to do a proper scan.

It was while contemplating on this that he slowly drifted to sleep.

* * *

**I decided to split this 'adventure' into two parts due to ridiculous length.**

**Reviews=happy me=quicker chapters! **


	4. Chapter 4

**A big thanks to _orchids117 _and _BBCcookies _(no, I haven't forgotten about you story-wise, and yes I am very grateful for the help you gave me at the beginning :).**

**Now, on with the story!**

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**Chapter 4**

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Rose awoke with a shudder. She wasn't sure if it was from the cold air rushing through her lungs or from the realization of her position against the Doctor's chest. She knew one thing for certain, though: her face – the only thing not shielded from the air by the blanket – was freezing. She mumbled a small complaint and snuggled closer to the warm mass next to her. Her red frozen nose brushed lightly against the exposed skin above the Doctor's collar, and the sleeping man startled, letting out a high-pitched yelp. Rose giggled at the noise.

"Good morning to you too," she grinned.

"Oh, Rose, it's just you," he sighed in relief, running a hand through his rebellious hair.

"'Course it's me, you daft alien! Or, I guess you're a stupid ape just like me now, aren't you?" she joked, tongue poking through her teeth.

"Oi! That's _time_-ape to you!"

"Still superior to us all, I see," she sighed with amusement.

"I wouldn't be the Doctor if I _wasn't_!"

She stopped to think, then. They had never actually discussed this.

"… Just how alien are you still? You have a human heart and need more sleep, but… what else?"

She looked down nervously, unsure of how he would react to her question; she didn't want to pry or seem rude. However, at the same time, she was a little reluctant to hear the answer. She knew he was essentially the same man as the one who first told her to run, but it kind of stung to hear and see the proof, however miniscule, that he _wasn't _a Time Lord anymore; that he wasn't the same Doctor.

"Well, I can still see fairly well in the dark. My hearing is superior to humans but not what it used to be; I can't hear your heartbeat anymore when you're nearby."

"You could hear that?"

"Oh, yes!" he smirked and she blushed, knowing that he must have heard it speed up around him all the time. "My tongue still tastes better," he winked mischievously her way, "but it can't quite analyze substances like it used to. And my nose, well, I can still smell the lovely perfume you put on this morning, although to you it would have faded by now. I'm warmer than before." He reached a hand out to her cheek, causing her to blush. "And if I focus _really _hard, I can feel the blood pumping through your capillaries, raising the temperature of your cheeks by exactly…" he scrunched his eyebrows in concentration for a few moments, "one point seven degrees." He admired her for a moment, her yellow hair framing her flushed pink cheeks.

And just like that, her worries were pushed to the back of her mind. She wanted to cringe at his differences and beg for him to be the way he used to be. But then he'd start looking at her the way he was now and frankly, she didn't quite care anymore _who_ he was as long as he never looked away.

He smiled and continued in a lighter tone. "And let's not even _start_ on my endurance and stamina."

He raised an eyebrow and she blushed further.

"I don't know... you _do_ get tired more easily now. I'm sure I could wear you out _somehow_..."

"Rose Tyler, if one of us is going to tire first, I'm sure it'll be you, with your weak human muscles."

He poked that one extra sensitive spot on her stomach playfully to make a point.

"Don't," she warned with an involuntary giggle and shivered again, lightly. The Doctor's eyebrows lifted in surprise and he glanced over her shoulder. Rose followed his gaze.

"The fire went out," she remarked.

"Who with?" he asked with an overly innocent smile.

She swatted his arm.

"You know what I mean."

He reluctantly got up and began restarting the fire, grinning the whole time. Once a steady flow of thermal energy was being emitted from the wood and paper, adding to the dim light of the rising sun, Rose sat up. She opened the sleeping bags to form a blanket and wrapped them around her shoulders.

"You hungry?" The Doctor asked, offering her a few frozen items.

"Starving!"

They used a metal vent covering as a grill of sorts and placed the food over the fire to defrost and cook. The bread was fluffy and seemed to melt in her mouth, if that was possible. The large, purple, broccoli-like vegetable tasted like rich tomato soup. It was all very delicious.

Now that she was warm once more and had the satisfied feeling of a full stomach, she could focus on more important matters.

"So, how are we going to find the TARDIS?"

"I was thinking about that, actually. Usually I can just sort of _feel_ her, but she's too far underground; our connection is weakened. But!" He jumped up and strode towards the electronics display opposite the fire. "With all these machine-y odds and ends, I'm sure I could make something to track her. It'll take me fifteen minutes!"

As he stood before her, grinning madly, she couldn't help but tease him some more.

She raised an eyebrow in challenge. "You sure about that? _Fifteen minutes_?"

"Rose _Tyler_," he gasped. "Are you questioning my ability to tinker?"

She bit her lip playfully. "Maybe."

"Ten minutes," he offered but she still looked unconvinced.

"And if you can't?"

"If I can't, I'll –"

"You'll be my personal slave for a day."

He thought back to all the times she ever asked him for something, no matter how insignificant. He always agreed; he couldn't help it. He would do anything for those pleading eyes and pouting lips. Anything she wanted, he'd give; always._ 'Doctor, can we go shopping?' 'Carry my bags?' 'Can you make me a cuppa?' 'Watch a film with me?' 'Read to me?' 'Paint my nails for me?' _He frowned, remembering that last one from after she had sprained her wrist.

"I already am your slave," he mumbled to himself. She stared at him slightly wide-eyed and confused. "Sorry! Did I say that out loud?" His mind raced for a way to change the subject. "But if I _win_… if I win, you are not allowed to ask me to do _anything_ for a _week_."

She scoffed.

"That hardly seems fair! A whole week?"

A slow, teasing smile spread across the Doctor's face. "You worried I might win, are you? That's the deal. Take it or leave it."

"Okay, fine. Deal," she huffed dramatically.

After shaking on it, the Doctor decided to get to work. He reached into his inside pocket for his sonic screwdriver and paled. How could he have forgotten?! The guard took it! A look of pure panic crossed his features. How was he going to build his detector without it? Never mind that, how was he going to build it, without his sonic, in _under ten minutes_?

Rose looked at him innocently. Too innocently.

"Is something wrong, Doctor?"

"Nope!" he replied quickly. "Everything's fine – great! I'll just be getting to work now! Yup, right now. No worries! Ten minutes."

He took a deep breath and dove into the pile of televisions and toasters. He was frantic, yanking at wires and fuses with alarming speed and force. He held the torch precariously between his teeth, illuminating his work area further. His hair was an even more dishevelled mess than usual and he scanned every inch of machinery with wild eyes. He'd occasionally glance back at Rose who was laying back down on the bed, counting quietly to herself, her mind obviously elsewhere.

He chastised himself for every glance, for each one inevitably led to distraction from his pressing task. But the way she laid, arms resting by her head while twirling a strand of hair, lips parted slightly as she whispered strings of numbers, was just so… so… _tempting_. And then she'd notice him watching her and count just a little bit louder, pushing him back to work.

The time trickled down to one minute and the Doctor worked more confidently. He had only a few wires more to twist into place. He was going to win.

_Five_

He stripped the ends of the last wires.

_Four_

He wrapped one end to a small metal knob.

_Three_

He attached the other end to another wire.

_Two_

He entered the TARDIS's temporal signature.

_One_

"Done!"

Rose got up and stared down at the small screen he proudly held. It was beeping softly and there was an arrow pointing them east for four kilometres.

The Doctor grinned smugly. "I guess that means I wi –" His words were cut off by a shrill ringing and a puff of smoke rising from the badly constructed device, which prompted a small coughing fit. "I don't understand! It was working perfectly!" Trying to fix the problem, the Doctor banged the side of the metal structure repeatedly with his hand. Unfortunately, this only caused a few sparks to fly and another wave of smoke to waft to his face.

"Well, _man-servant_, I think we all know who the winner is here," Rose grinned.

"But – but… Ugh, fine. At least wait until we get back to the TARDIS to begin your mastertude. Is that a word? Master-tude…?" He thought for a moment before tossing the frazzled gadget carelessly behind him with a sigh. "Well, at least that thing wasn't a complete waste. I know exactly what direction to go in! We should leave soon, while the sun is still high."

Rose slowly agreed and they began to bundle themselves up tight. The sleeping bags they had used were converted into makeshift jackets, the Doctor cutting out armholes with a knife he found. It looked beyond ridiculous, but the added warmth it provided was welcomed. They stocked up with a small snack for later, buried deep in the Doctor's trans-dimensional pockets, and slowly began to make their way out of the mall.

Despite the five layers of work gloves they were wearing, greatly restricting their finger movement, they still managed to weave their fingers together by a hair's breadth.

The Doctor took the lead, navigating warily on the rough, unreliable terrain. There was no need for speaking; the action only wasted the precious warm oxygen in their lungs. The sunlight reflected blindingly off the white expanse, the cloudless sky making it even colder.

The first hour of their walk brought them to the edge of the surface city. They could see laid out before them an unending field of white, no shelter or buildings in sight. Out in the open, the wind was much stronger and bit at their skin ruthlessly.

By the second hour, their crude coverings were almost useless. Rose knew her toes were probably turning an ugly shade of blue. The Doctor reassured her they only had one more hour to go, but whether she could make it that far was tentative. The Doctor had taken to practically _dragging_ her along behind him. She stumbled every few steps and he had to physically stop her from collapsing into the snow.

It was when they had only another seven point three minutes to go that her legs gave out for good. Her eyes were nearly drooped shut and she mumbled incoherently beneath her scarf. She was pale beyond belief.

The Doctor felt a wave of panic rush through his heart. They were so _close_! He could almost _taste_ the TARDIS!

Although worry over Rose overtook every sense in his body, he needed to soldier on. He could worry all he pleased once they were out of this wasteland. So, with stiff arms, he raised her off the ice and walked the last few hundred meters. The area around the hatch was all loose snow, so he waded in – the fluffy flakes at his knees – until his foot hit something decidedly not snow.

He laid Rose carefully next to him and began to pry the door. He kicked and worked at it with all his strength. Rose was even more lost to hypothermia and her heart was at great risk; it had already slowed dangerously. She was barely breathing. His own heart sped up and he pounded the lock with newfound urgency. _She can't die!_

Each smash of the metal sent a cracking vibration up his limbs, but he was running on so much adrenaline that he barely noticed. Rose, his beautiful Rose, entrusted to him by his other self, wasn't going to make it. What would the Doctor think of him now? He was supposed to keep her safe. She was going to die because of him.

Finally, the door opened. The Doctor gently brought her with him in the tunnel. He moved her quickly but smoothly through the opening leading to the underground city. As with the last tunnel, it was hiding behind a shelving unit, allowing just enough light through to be able to see their immediate surroundings.

The air was a nice hot temperature, perfect for warming her. The Doctor focused on getting her breathing. He frantically performed CPR, but her condition only seemed to worsen under his efforts. His vision blurred, but he refused to give in to the feeling of defeat clawing at him.

"C'mon! Rose, please! I can't do all this without you! Breathe! _Breathe!_"

And as if hearing his gasped command, she did. She remained on the edge of consciousness, but she was breathing. He laughed. As absurd as it might seem, pearls of laughter escaped him in relief. She was going to be okay.

He quickly discarded his layers of clothing – minus his suit – and placed them all over her, warming her core and head first. He wrapped himself around her as not only another source of heat, but also as a comfort to himself; she was in his arms, safe.

"D-doctor?" she whispered ten minutes later.

He smoothed her hair back. "It's okay. Everything's okay."

"Where am I? What happened?" she asked, rubbing her hands together. Now that her middle was warming, her hands and feet could be tended to.

Without thinking, the Doctor grabbed her wrists and placed her hands under his shirt, against the hot skin of his stomach.

"We're in the tunnel. You got hypothermia. Rose you… you stopped breathing."

She nodded her head in understanding but otherwise didn't react to the information. She closed her eyes and moved closer to him, slowly reviving her frozen limbs. She was still kind of dazed, but she was getting better. He remembered the snack he had put in his pocket, and knew protein would help her. He offered it and she slowly ate it, putting extra effort into swallowing.

After eating, they conversed mindlessly, mostly to keep her mind working. They spoke quietly, but soon they heard a couple of guards walk by and stopped to listen. Their voices were rough from breathing dust their entire lives, but their words were still discernible.

"... I don't know Illos, something's just _wrong_. I overheard Dr. Bron talking to the Director, and he said that the stars have shifted!"

The second guard made a clicking sound. "I don't see how it matters Klole; Dr. Bron's a nut job. The Surface World just isn't important."

"Well, the way I see it, the Surface is still part of Aabkud and if something's wrong there, something might go wrong here. Anyway, apparently, strange things started happening even before the Surface froze over. Bron was monitoring the animal life, and the Yorfs couldn't find the Southern Continent," the first guard said with sincere concern.

The second guard let out a low hiss. "Ugh. The Yorfs are hideous creatures and deserve to die out."

The Doctor stilled at the comment and Rose glared weakly in the general direction she expected the guard to be.

"Yeah, well, I'm no expert, but I _did_ take a year of natural sciences and I know enough about their migration patterns to be worried. _And_, Dr. Mapro, from the Lowest Plate, said that down there, they didn't freeze; they're _burning_. He could barely get the transmission through the solar flares!"

"Didn't he also announce that Lady Jemmix was marrying that economist who..."

As the men walked away, their voices became more and more distant.

Huh. That was a theory the Doctor hadn't considered. If Aabkud's geomagnetic field was anything like that of Earth's, which was very likely, then it was very possible, probable even, that planet's rotational axis was misaligned. He couldn't be certain until he performed a proper scan from the TARDIS, but it seemed that Aabkud was undergoing a magnetic field reversal, which currently had the planet's previous geographic south facing the sun directly, burning, and the planet's previous north facing away, freezing day and night. The stars would seem to have shifted, when really it was just the planet that shifted. Also, the 'Yorf' birds' inner compass would be rendered useless, for the poles were forming chaotically in different places until re-stabilization.

The Doctor turned his attention back to Rose.

"How are you doing? Do you think you're ready to run?"

"Doctor!" she complained in an uncharacteristic whine. "I don't think I could even walk all that way right now. You can go yourself then bring the TARDIS to get me, yeah?" Rose was usually just as enthusiastic as the next girl about adventure, but their time on this planet had really taken its toll on her.

The Doctor reluctantly agreed and told her he'd try not to take too long. With slow, precise movements, he pushed the inopportunely squeaky shelves out of the way, with only minimal rattling of the items stored within them. He glanced once more at Rose and made a gesture with his finger against his lips. She tried to hide a grin as she copied the action, indicating her silence.

The security had been raised since their escape, especially around the military area storing the TARDIS. The Doctor walked as much as he could through the shadows of this seemingly unused passage. Unlike some of the main 'roads', this was illuminated by only the occasional dirty yellow lamp, usually near doorways or intersections. He continued on surreptitiously, pressing his back into the dirt walls whenever someone came by, wishing now more than ever to have his neutral brown suit back.

The Doctor had only his ship's mental presence to guide him, making the exact directions to her location unclear. There were voices coming from up ahead; he knew he was getting close. Soon, he'd be forced out of the comfort of the shadows and into the harsh artificial lighting.

He approached the doorway, still hidden, and peered into the room. It was a small space that seemed a cross between a break room, storage, and a maintenance centre. Unlike the rest of the underground city, this room had dull, grey, metal walls. There were a few men chatting in the corner of the room, but it was mostly empty. The Doctor counted fourteen men, and right in the middle of it all, surrounded by broken tools and sitting in a pool of brown paint, was his TARDIS, completely unharmed. _That's my girl!_

It was obvious that they had tried to break her, scrape her, and paint her, but the utensils had been worked to shreds and the paint had simply slid off. In front of her sat a group of four men playing cards of some sort. They were all typical soldiers, except the one directly blocking the TARDIS. That man was _massive_! Not only was he at least seven feet tall, but he looked like he could lift a boulder. Scratch that, he _was_ a boulder. Plus, it certainly didn't help that his face held a sneer awful enough to intimidate even the Daleks, if that were possible.

The Doctor searched through his trans-dimensional pockets for anything to cause a distraction. Amidst the junk, he found an Ignisboom: a small and fairly useless firecracker, only effective in making noise and a few small sparks. He weighed the small item in his hand, preparing to throw.

As soon as the mean-faced guard was busy dealing the next hand, the Doctor launched the Ignisboom across the room. The tiny projectile hit the far wall and immediately began a series of deafening 'pop's and 'crack's, accompanied by small orange specks of light and miniscule puffs of smoke.

The men took immediate action, calling for assistance and looking hurriedly for the source of the noise. The colossal guard jumped, dropping the cards, but he was not as worried as the others. It also seemed that he was the smartest of the group, as his gaze met the Doctor's almost immediately. The soldiers ran around the room trying to stop the noise, but Mr. Giant just leaned back in his chair, still directly in front of the TARDIS, and smirked; a taunting. Never leaving the Doctor's gaze, the man called to one of the other guards and inclined his head in the Doctor's direction, alerting them all to his location. His eyes widened and he turned to run, but two strong arms grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him to the centre of the room. He was completely surrounded by armed men.

Mr. Giant approached him slowly, grotesque sneer ever present. In closer proximity, his yellowing teeth could be easily seen, as well as a menacing scar along his jaw line. "We've been looking for you. Where's that filthy female of yours?"

The Doctor's eyes hardened and he could feel the beginnings of an Oncoming Storm glare coming on. "Oh, she's fine; perfectly safe; no need to worry about her. So, if you'd just let me into that box right there, I'll be on my way!"

"Oh, I don't think so. It's been a while since we've had another species here. We're just dying to learn all there is to know about you!"

The way he spat the words clearly indicated the type of 'getting to know you' the guard had in mind.

The Doctor gulped. "I think I'll pass. I don't know about you, but I very much like my organs _inside _my body."

He scanned the room discreetly for a solution, and had to hold back a smug smile when he spotted his sonic screwdriver sticking perilously out of a nearby soldier's pocket. Mr. Giant approached him again, another man handing him a syringe filled with an opaque white liquid, no doubt something to tranquilize him, if not kill him. He flicked the instrument and squirted a small bubble out of the needle. Mr. Giant eyed the Doctor with a sick leer and a twinkle in his eye. His rank breath could almost be felt on the Doctor's face. It was time. He had to get out. _Now. _

He sprang into action, snatching his screwdriver and pointing it at the power panel. It sparked and the lights went out, immediately causing chaos and confusion in the room. The Doctor's eyes narrowed in on the TARDIS, making her all he could see. He sprinted towards her with all his might, easily bypassing anyone in his way. By the time the emergency generator kicked in, the Doctor already had the key in the door. Mr. Giant saw him and screeched an earsplitting battle cry, running at him full speed, needle readily pinched between his grimy fingers.

The Time Lord slipped through the doors. He winced and stroked his TARDIS as he heard the giant angry body slam into her closed doors and rebound painfully.

"Sorry, Old Girl! Did he hurt you?" he cooed affectionately. She hummed happily in response, delighted at his return. "One more stop!"

He put in the coordinates and through the view screen he watched the astounded faces of the men outside as the TARDIS slowly disappeared. The doors opened as soon as he had landed and Rose walked in.

Upon seeing her, the Doctor erupted in unconcealed laughter. The form in front of him was giant and more composed of blanket and clothing than of Rose. She glared, trying very unsuccessfully to remove the layers and soon giving up.

"You mind helpin' me? I'm all tangled!"

The Doctor tried to contain himself and smiled apologetically. "Of course. Just let me get us out of here first."

As soon as he was back in space, hovering above what was left of the planet's magnetosphere, he rushed to her.

"Ugh!" Rose cried out with frustration. "I just wanna take a bath and relax!"

He led her to one of the beautiful spa rooms and began helping her with the many layers of clothing. The first four layers were really tangled and he had to work hard to remove them. And then once he reached the last four, he knew she could manage on her own, but he couldn't quite bring himself to stop peeling the clothes off her body. And she was letting him. He stopped once he got down to one layer – just her vest and jeans – and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I think you can, uh, take it from here…?"

She grinned at the way he looked pointedly away from her, nervously.

"Of course. Thank you, Doctor," she said as professionally as she could.

He cleared his throat. "Right. I'll just… go." He turned to leave but she called him back. "Yes, Rose?"

"You mind making me a cuppa for when I'm done? Oh, and I'd love a foot rub. Now that I think of it, my back is pretty sore too; those tunnels were _not_ comfortable. And maybe in the meantime, you could tidy my room up a bit? That would be great, thanks."

He stared at her, confused, but then remembered their bet. He groaned. "Will that be all, _Miss Tyler_?"

Rose gave him her signature grin. "For now."

Once she was refreshed and changed into her most comfortable clothing, she met the Doctor in the library, where she sat with her feet in his lap and warm tea at her lips.

"So, did you figure out what was wrong with the planet in the end?"

The Doctor's eyes lit up. "Yup! Simple geomagnetic reversal of the magnetic north and magnetic south. They would've been fine on their own eventually, but while you were getting dressed I sped up the process a little."

She raised an eyebrow. "And how much is 'a little'?"

"Oh… five thousand years? Give or take a few centuries. The thing is, though, I can't figure out what caused the reversal. I've scanned it with everything the TARDIS has, but nothing seems to have provoked this. It's just like what happened on Daikuroda, I put a band-aid on the symptom, but I have no idea what the problem is…"

Rose bit her lip. "You think maybe they're… I dunno… connected or somethin'?"

"… Nah!"

* * *

**Oh, naive, oblivious Doctor...**

**Thoughts, predictions, comments? Yes? No? Maybe?**

**:)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Giant thanks to by beta _orchids117_, however I added stuff after she looked at it, so any errors are mine.**

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**Chapter 5**

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The interview went as Kallias Roberts had expected. Henry Gro was haughty and was only interested in the mission for the fame and money that came with saving the world.

Roberts forced a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Gro. I'll get back to you soon," he lied.

Henry stood and smirked down at Kallias. "Oh, you will," he assured; he had never been denied a position before in his life.

Kallias sighed. This was the sixth interview he had conducted in the past hour and he was still nowhere. How hard was it to find a decent weapon's expert these days?

As the pompous man left, the tired interviewer removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, putting another application in the 'no' pile.

_Very hard, apparently._

He reached over and drowned the rest of his coffee.

There was only one more interview left for the day: some bloke named Neal Douglas. Kallias pleaded to the goddesses for him to be the one. The ship was set to launch in a fortnight and this was the last position to be filled.

"Sally, please send in the next one," he mumbled into the communicator next to him.

The door opened with a soft creak, and Kallias looked up with wearied interest to see who he would be dealing with.

Neal was a tall, well-built man with skin black as night. He had pale blue tattoos wrapping themselves up his arms, disappearing under the sleeves of his tight grey t-shirt. His eyes were a striking green, which, when contrasted with the rest of his features, seemed equal parts warm and cold; harsh _and_ inviting.

"Mr. Douglas, please take a seat."

Neal grinned widely and the interview began.

Within the first five minutes, Kallias was already convinced that this was who they were looking for. Neal had graduated top of his class from one of the most prestigious schools in the quadrant, had spent five years working at the most successful research facility in the system, and was undoubtedly pleasant and respectful. He had already done extensive research into their mission and would easily be ready by the launch date.

The interviewer took his time to double and even triple check the authenticity of Neal's documents and references. He was perfect. Perfect in every possible way.

Kallias took one of Neal's hands in both of his. "Thank you _so_ much, Mr. Douglas. Here's the folder on the rest of the crew and a brief overview of the project – although I doubt you'll need it, being as knowledgeable as you are. Please be here by nine tomorrow to begin your training."

"I'll be here," Neal reassured as he stood and walked out.

He winked flirtatiously at Sally as he passed her, causing her to hide a giggle behind her hand. He had a brief conversation with the guard at the main gate, which gained him the man's phone number. He caught the eye of most of the ladies as he walked down the street to his hovercar. There was no denying his natural ability to charm everyone he met.

Which is why the Zorrons had chosen him as their spy.

* * *

The air surrounded him in thick clouds of dust. The strong stench of death permeated the air. Children's cries rang in his ears. He refused to fight; he refused to kill. But it had to end.

_No more._

He could feel the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins, his hearts picking up incredible speed. Flashes of light cut through the sky and landed with forceful blows. Rubble fell from breaking buildings, landing on the innocent and scared.

_EXTERMINATE!_

His synapses fired and raged. With ever command of those infernal beasts, his shaking hands gripped the gun tighter. He despised the weapon in his arms almost more than he despised himself. But, what choice did he have?

_The Moment is coming._

He expelled every thought from his mind as he stared at the big red button, having broken every promise that came with his name. No thoughts, no strength, no going back. He caged every stray emotion and just let himself be. He focused on the feeling of the air in his lungs, the wind in his short grey hair, the smooth crimson stone beneath his fingertips. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and -

The Doctor bolted upright, hand running through his hair as he calmed his breathing. It was the same recurring nightmare – memory – that constantly plagued his resting hours. He would never forget what he did that dreadful day – the day he destroyed his place of being, his home.

The Doctor had been surprised to learn, before giving in to his unavoidable exhaustion, that there had once been a Doctor in this universe as well. However, his actions in the Time War seemed to make more sense, in a way.

"…_As the Time Lord's plans failed, Rassilon, the founder of their great society, named himself Lord President. He manipulated the High Counsel into implementing the 'Ultimate Sanction', a genocide scheme which threatened all of creation. _

"_There were some, however, who were opposed to this action. The Doctor, a Time Lord of great influence and importance, went above the heads of all those in power. With the help of his once thought enemy, now turned co-conspirator, the Master, General of the Gallifreyan army, he redirected all available soldiers to Skaro. They implemented conscription and all living men and women without obligations were sent to the Dalek home world. The Daleks, in an effort to protect their own, returned to their planet. Before Arcadia could fall, the war was moved to the Skaro battlefields. T__he full might of the Deathsmiths of Goth battled against the Black Hole Carriers and N-Forms. In a final act of valour, the Doctor dismantled the High Counsel and banished the Lord President. On the front lines of battle, the Doctor fell, taking Skaro with him. The Daleks all died…"_

The Alternate-Doctor had stood up courageously. He had not turned away from the gore and horrific bloodshed in the epicentre of the war. Rather, he had participated in it. And in doing so, he had destroyed Skaro instead of Gallifrey. Sure, the Alternate-Doctor had died in doing so, but in all honesty, the real Doctor had never planned to survive either. He had even wished desperately for death in his worst moments. But the destruction of the Dalek home world would not have weighed on his consciousness quite as heavily as the destruction of _his_ home.

Of course, Gallifrey was gone in this universe nonetheless. He had scanned the skies with a sliver of hope, only to be let down. Somehow Gallifrey still fell, but at least he wasn't the one to have dropped it this time.

The Doctor readjusted his position on the luscious library recliner and tried to force himself into another few hours of slumber. If he tried hard enough, perhaps he would be able to drift deep into a dreamless sleep. He didn't really have the desire to rest any longer, but Rose would scold him if she realized that he hadn't slept as long as he should have. She had a knack for deducing the exact state of his mental alertness, and if it was in any way subpar, he would be forced – unnecessarily by his view – to bed for another hour or two, sans her company. Which was annoying because he hated sleeping. His life was so much shorter now, yet Rose expected him to sleep it all away?

But then she'd rest her hands on his cheeks and stroke the circles under his eyes with her thumbs and tell him that he needed to rest. He'd close his eyes for a moment and find himself falling asleep right then and there. She'd laugh softly and grab his hand, leading him to his room. She'd tuck him in and, recently, she'd leave a small kiss on his forehead.

Well, maybe sleeping wasn't so bad after all.

He was awoken an hour and a half later by the smell of sugary-sweet coffee and toast, both of which were held towards him by a sleepy Rose. He stretched, popping a few joints, and rubbed his eyes, before grabbing the items readily from her hands.

"Morning. You sleep okay?" she asked, taking a seat on the sofa across from him.

"Mmm..." he hummed in neither agreement nor denial, taking a sip of his hot beverage. Rose made it just how he liked it, every time. He smiled at the thought.

"So... what's the plan for today? Crashing a historical wedding? Stopping a thief at an alien bazaar?"

She grinned brilliantly and waited for an answer. The artificial library windows let in the faint pink light of a foreign sunrise and cast pale shadows across the room. The effect would seem eerie if not for the beauty of it. Perhaps the TARDIS was trying to tell him something; she almost never changed the fictional world outside her windows.

She hummed in the back of his mind as he caught on. Rose didn't need an adventure today. She had almost died not even a week ago. No, he needed to take her to see something wondrous and beautiful, just like her.

"How about a Koorian sunrise?"

Her eyes widened.

"A sunrise?"

He smiled faintly.

"Not just any sunrise, the second best sunrise in the universe – the best being on Gallifrey, of course. Though, it's probably one of those subjective things. I'd take you to see both and compare… you know, if I could."

He got a faraway look in his eyes, remembering. In his mind, he was a child again, eight years old. He remembered the day of his initiation. He woke up extra early that morning and snuck out. He lay in the long grass behind his house and watched the suns dance to the familiar song of the wind. He picked a fallen leaf off the ground and held it above his face, turning it in his fingers, watching as it caught the orange light and burned in the illusion of flames. He would be forced to take his place in front of the Untempered Schism in a few hours. He had thought of running away, but then he thought of his mother and how could he ever heave his home?

But then he had. He ran and kept on running until he was all that was left. The last of the Time Lords.

His mind laughed darkly. _I'm not even that._

Metacrisis. It sounded like such a dirty word to him. Contaminated.

He felt Rose weave her fingers through his and smile comfortingly. He could see the worry in her eyes though. He knew Rose could tell he was missing his home more than usual lately. _Did he even have the right to call it his home anymore?_

"That sounds lovely, Doctor. I'll meet you in the console room in ten minutes?"

He slowly drew his attention away from the insignificant spot he'd been staring at and nodded in confirmation.

Alone again, he gave his suit a quick clean-up with his sonic and forced a cheery smile on his face. Today was not a day for brooding. He would spend a lovely day in the sun with the love of his life and nothing would go wrong.

* * *

The Doctor landed them near the precipice of a waterfall. The waters roared below and a lonely songbird sang its flitting tune. It was still dark, but Koor's three suns would be rising soon. Even in the moonslight, the scenery was breathtaking. There was a solitary tree by the stream, a weeping willow with purple leaves. The water was calm as it trickled off the edge, unaware of the rage it would meet. Through the water, there was a fine later of incandescent algae, illuminated in the transparent depths like stars.

The Doctor didn't take his jacket off, but when he sat, he spread out the edge of it, creating a foot and a half's length for Rose to sit. He didn't think closeness was an issue for them anymore and was proven right when she snuggled up next to him.

They didn't have to wait long for the first sun to begin its ascent to their left, seeming to rise up from the water. It was a bright yellow, like Earth's sun, but it was not so strong that it couldn't be looked at directly. Next, to their right, rose another sun, red this time. They intercepted at sharp angles to make an orange light.

She sighed happily. "This is beautiful, Doctor."

He grinned. "Oh, just you wait."

She looked up at him quizzically, but her questions were answered when the third sun snuck up behind them. It was a brilliant emerald green. On its own, it seemed a bit strange, but in conjunction with the other two, it created light of every colour. Rose stood and turned in wonder, taking in the sight. Everywhere she looked was a different coloured beam of light.

"Humans in the year eight thousand colonized this planet because they thought the sunsrise looked like a million Christmas lights. It reminded them of home."

"But, it's more than that. 'S like being inside a rainbow!" she giggled. She didn't know if it was the fact that this place looked like a fairytale, or if it was just being here with the Doctor in an explosion of colour, but she felt like a kid again.

No, not a kid. She felt nineteen. She had the same childish excitement now that she had had the first time she ever stepped out the TARDIS doors. Back when the Doctor was gruff and northern, back when she was nothing but a shop girl. She had teased him then – _you think you're so impressive_ – because how else do you process being in 2005 one minute and the end of the world the next? She had known from that very moment that she was never going to give that life up. She felt like the luckiest girl in the universe; out of everyone in all of time and space, the Doctor took _her_ hand. For the first time in her life she felt chosen; wanted; _special._

Although they had just had a small breakfast in the TARDIS, Rose's stomach gave a small groan.

The Doctor laughed and took her hand. "C'mon, let's go see the sights!"

Rose beamed as they made their way towards the city. It was only a ten minute walk along a pink-stoned path.

She looked around in wonder as they entered the small town. As soon as the suns had risen, so had the city. The streets were bustling with activity; mothers sending children off to school; businessmen hurrying to work; morning joggers with their pets. The atmosphere was that of a large metropolitan city, but the scenery said otherwise. The houses and buildings were all dome-like and had as walls covered in a creamy white, earthy fabric. It was as if nature had crept up into the heart of the town and taken over.

The pair stopped in a tiny little shop for some waffles. Not only did Koor have to best sunrises, but they also held the galactic record for best waffles. Or so the Doctor claimed. While they awaited their order, Rose ran her fingers along the cloth wall. She was fascinated by it, the fabric covering the city's buildings felt like a mix of linen and silk, but it seemed to remain impermeable to mud and water.

"How do the shops stay dry?" she wondered out loud. "I mean, there're gaps in the ceiling. The _cloth_ ceiling."

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer, but the waitress, having returned with their food, beat him to it.

She gave them a cheery smile. "You'll have your answer in a minute, dear. The flares are coming."

"Flares?" the Doctor asked around a mouthful of chocolate banana delight waffles.

"Oh, you must be off-worlders!" She looked between the two, their hands clasped over the table and their feet entwined under it. "You here on you honeymoon? Oh, that's just lovely!"

The Doctor pulled at his ear with his free hand and Rose slowly pulled her fingers away from his with a blush. The waitress, Karen, realized her mistake and promptly moved on. "Anyway, it should only be another thirty seconds or so before the next cycle."

Rose cocked her head. "Cycle?"

The Doctor pulled back the edge of the wall so that they could look through. It was hard to see at first, but a fine layer of blue electricity was slowly raising itself up from the horizon, encasing the planet in a forcefield. And good thing, too, because the exact second the translucent sheet sealed itself, it was being bombarded by rainbowed rays of energy. They clung to the shield like fingers and pulled with all their might.

"I hope you weren't planning on leaving any time soon. I have a feeling this one's gonna be a long one," Karen warned before turning to the next table.

"A long what?" Rose questioned, her eyes still transfixed on the sky. "Doctor, what's goin' on?"

"I think we're caught in the middle of an astrophysical storm." He met her worried gaze and pointed up at the sky. "You see how all the colours are swirling? Those are solar winds pushing all the radiation around."

Rose nodded contemplatively. "So, like the auroras on earth?"

The Doctor grinned proudly at her brilliance and grabbed her hand again. "Exactly, except Koor has three suns, so the radiation is coming from so many angles that you can see it all over the planet," he stopped to take a bite of waffle, "even during the day."

He continued to scarf down the delicious food while Rose looked out of their makeshift window.

After a few moments of silence, the Doctor tugged on her hand to get her attention. "Are you going to eat those?" he asked, referring to her waffles.

"Yeah…" she murmured distractedly. "Doctor… do you see that?"

"What?" he asked, sneaking a forkful of her breakfast into his mouth.

Her eyes widened and she pointed up towards the sky, excited. "There! Right there! Do you see that? Something's moving!"

"Oh, it's probably just some debris getting caught in the storm. Nothing to worry about," he answered while trying unsuccessfully to look at his chin and the drop of sticky syrup sliding down it.

She gasped, surprised. "_Doc_tor!" His head snapped up then, eyes wide and mind memorising the sound her mouth had just made. "Something's wrong! I know it is! Just _look_!"

Finally, he did. And then his eyes widened for a completely different reason. The storm was getting stronger. The shield was weakening.

The Doctor grinned widely. "Well, I believe we're needed. Care to join me?"

Rose stuck her tongue between her teeth as she grinned and joined him in running out of the building.

As they ran, the Doctor held his sonic screwdriver out in front of him, using it as a guide to the force field generator. Rose was shocked when no one else they passed noticed the storm worsening. But then again, why would they notice? They see the storm almost every day; it's a fact of life for them.

The wind started picking up, blowing the cloth walls into the street like curtains. It made navigating very frustrating. The pair just missed knocking an elderly lady on the ground, only to slam into a parked hovercar and set off its alarms.

The owner wasn't very happy.

The rest of their hurried journey contained, unfortunately, many such accidents. But eventually they did reach the edge of the city, where there was a large field surrounded by a bulky fence. The landscape was mostly bare, only a few brave grasses straggling up from the soil in the wide space.

And right in the middle of it was a beam of blue light soaring to the sky.

The Doctor made quick work of the fence with his screwdriver, allowing he and Rose to crawl in.

"So that's the generator?" Rose asked while the Doctor inspected it closely.

"Yup!" he said, pulling out his glasses and perching them on his nose to get a better look. It was a fairly large black rectangular box with a green flap on one side and a circle on top, where the energy was streaming from.

Rose looked at him uncertainly. "And something's wrong with it?"

"Oh, it's nothing that a little jiggery-pokery can't fix." He pried open the green flap and began pulling on a few wires that were sticking out of the side of the machine, sonicing them, the tip of his tongue peeking through his lips in concentration. "I just need to boost the flow of the –"

The Doctor jumped as the machine sparked, causing the light emanating from the generator to intensify and the shield to strengthen.

"Ha!" he cried triumphantly and beamed at Rose.

She smiled back and began to speak, but her words were cut off by a loud rumbling as the ground began to shake.

"What did you do?!" she cried out in alarm.

The Doctor looked affronted. "Me?! I didn't do anything!"

The two of them stumbled as the ground shook. Directly in front of them, the ground began to break apart in a perfect square. Each half of the broken pieces sunk down and slid under the rest of the floor, revealing a secret underground facility.

As soon as the doors were open, the rumbling intensified and a giant cloud of smoke filled the air around them. The Doctor squinted and tried unsuccessfully to see through the cloud while Rose fanned the grey air out of her face through a few coughs.

When the smoke cleared somewhat, they could see something coming up out of the ground. At first it was just a shadow, large and imposing. As it rose higher, the Doctor took a few steps back. He had to crane his neck to look up at it, but its edges were becoming more clear, its figure more discernible – a spaceship.

It was smaller than the typical exploration ship, but held the same basic design. The body was cylindrical and black, with a large triangular disk on top and four massive engines surrounding the base. Written in sharp white letters was the word _Falcon. _

As soon as the Falcon had cleared the underground base, the orange fire being pushed out of the engines turned blue. There was a high-pitched whirring before the giant ship shot up and disappeared into the sky above, leaving only a small hole in the sky's force field in its wake.

The Doctor continued staring up at where the ship had been, shading his eyes from the suns with his hand. He let out a low, amazed whistle.

"Where do you think it's going?" Rose asked.

He shook his head minutely, still looking up. "I don't know."

Rose glanced down into the gap where the ship had come from and tugged the Doctor's hand. He slowly pulled his eyes away from the sky and down to her, then followed her gaze. Down in the hole was a large military base. There was a flurry of people in white lab coats and military gear yelling commands and gathering data.

"Whatever it is, it looks important."

"Oh…" Rose chewed on her lip pensively. "Should we… I mean... they might need our hel–"

"We don't need to –"

"Of course not! I was just –"

"I'm sure they'll be fine. No need to go take a look."

"Nope."

"Good."

"_Good_."

They shared a brilliant grin and ran to the TARDIS anyway.

* * *

**If you can't think of anything to review about, you could always just give me a smiley face...**

**:D**


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